1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for recording/reproducing a digital signal onto/from a recording medium and in particular, to a digital signal recording method and apparatus and a digital signal reproduction method and apparatus for recording/reproducing a digital video signal onto/from a disc-shaped recording medium with compression of the digital video signal.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A video tape recorder (VTR) using a magnetic tape is used as means for recording/reproducing a video signal and an audio signal onto/from a recording medium. A home VTR normally can be switched between a standard mode and a long time (for examples, three times longer) mode so as to select a time which can be used for recording a video signal onto a predetermined length of a magnetic tape. When recording a television program which can be recorded within a time of standard mode, the user normally selects the standard mode which enables to obtain a preferable picture quality. The long-time mode is normally selected when the user desires to record on a single magnetic tape a long time program which exceeds the length of the magnetic tape if at the standard mode or when the user desires to record various programs on a single magnetic tape.
On the other hand, an optical disc or the like has been widely spread as a medium capable of recording/reproducing a video signal and an audio signal as digital signals. When compared to a magnetic tape, a disc-shaped recording medium is superior in the random access capability and is capable of recording/reproducing a high quality picture, but cannot be selected between modes which correspond to the aforementioned standard mode and the long-time mode.